Rotary drier.



W. E. PRINDLE.

ROTARY- DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1913.

Patented 5241.26, 11915.

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mwwnnmulmmmmllnwmm w mm. 1111 l f W. E. PRINDLE.

ROTARY DRIER. v APPLICATION FILED AUG. e, 191s.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. E. PRINDLE.

ROTARY DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. e, 1913.

Patented Ja11.26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WTLLIAM E. PRINDLE, OF MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN.

ROTARY DRIER.

Application led August 6, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, acitizen of the United States, and residing at Manitowoc, in the countyof Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin, have invented cer tain new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Driers, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates 'to the class of rotary driers; and pertains moreparticularly to that type of drying apparatus designed foruse in dryingpulp, or other material, possessing a large degree of moisture; andrelates in an especial sense to an improved interior arrangement foreffectively drying material of this general character.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel drier arrangementwhereinhighest temperatures are effectively employed to act uponmaterial in its wettest stage, with the application of graduallydecreasing temeratures to the material as it correspondingly parts withits moisture, whereby the material is discharged as an uniformly driedproduct. Another object is the provision in a drier of this character ofintercommunicating longitudinal chambers, whereby the heating medium hasan extended transverse and free circulation through all of the chambers.

A further object is the provision of an improved means for cascading andstirring up the material, and wherein the degree of cascading andstirring is increased by a particular and novel arrangement of mem bersas the material correspondingly parts with its moisture. A still furtherobject is the provision of means in a rear drier chamber adapted toprevent dry andlight particles from being drawn therefrom by suctionmeans positioned adjacent thereto.

These, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, orare incident to my invention, I attain by meansof a constructionillustrated inpreferred form, wherein:

Figure 1 is a verticalv longitudinal section through a drier embodyingmy idea of means;

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are transverse sections taken through the dryingportions F, Gr,

Specification of Letters Patent.

outlet 13,.

Patented Jan., 26, 319115.

Serial No. 783,248.

and H on the lines ll-U, III-IH, llV- IV, respectively, and illustratingdiagrammatically the preferred interior arrangement in these saidportions;

Figure 5 represents a section taken transversely through the expansionor dust chamber D; and,

Eigure 6 is an enlarged showing of Figure 4, ll'lustrating more clearlycertain details of construction omitted therein for reasons of lucidity.

In carrying out my invention, llv provide a tubular drier shell Acommunicating at its feed or front `end with a suitable source of heat,as the furnace chamberI indicated by B, through the stationaryconnecting me'mber C, about whose peripheral edge 4 the said front endis adapted to rotate. The shell receives rotary movement through thegears 5 and 6, the latter being'connected with any suitable source ofpower, and is further provided with tires 'l' formed thereon which moveon rollers 8, as is usual in driers of this character.

Preferably the shell A is disposed at an inclination to the horizontal,the rear or discharge end being lower than the feed end and rotatablyreceived at 8.a in the front wall of an expansion or dust chamber D,-

which latter incloses the said rear. end. The chamber D communicateswith an eX- haust fan E, through an opening 9 'preferably formed in itsrear wall, and has mounted therein the staggered baille plates l0, whosepurpose will be hereinafter described. The chamber is provided with a'downwardly and centrally inclined base portion or hopper 11, in thelower portion of which a worm conveyor' 12 is mounted to discharge thedried product outwardly through the This conveyer is adapted to beoperated by suitable power connections.

A feed member is mounted in the stationarymember, C, such as the feedspout designated by the numeral 14, and is designed to feed the wetpulp, or the like, bn to the helicoidal members l5 which are formed onthe inner face of the drier and adjacent to the feed end thereof.I

An effective arrangement of drier interior parts, is the preferredsectional construction shown in the drawings, and wherein I contemplatethe provision of three drier sections or portions, represented by theletters F, G and lol, and diagraminatically illustrated in section inFigures 2, 3 and 4. These portions which are disposed in stated orderlongitudinally within the shell A may be characterized as the front,central, and rear drying sections, respectively.

The arrangement within the front section consists in the provision ofpartitions 16 which extend inwardly and radiallyV from the shell to formlongitudinal compartments, the inner ends of which partitions preferablydo not meet, whereby the compartments are capable of havinginter-communication with each other through their innerv passages 17.r1`he passages not only permit an effective cascade" of the materialwithin the drier, but in addition thereto provide for a free andextensive circulation of theheatcd air or gases, so that the material ineach compartment maybe uniformly dried.

For the purpose of cascading the material as the drier shell rotates, Iprovide each partition with the lifting blades 18 mounted atl intervalsthereon, and which have their outer marginal edges bent or flangedlinwardly toward thc longitudinal axis of the shell as at 19, so that atcertain times in the rotary, movement of the drier the lifting bladesvirtually act as retaining shelves for portions of the material; and as'such are designed to prevent material from moving en masse; tendingrather to disintegrate and break up -the mass' in order that the heatedair or gases from the furnace chamber act upon the material in aneffective and economical manner. rl`he blades 18 may be conformed todecrease in relative width aecordingly as they near the longitudinalcenter of the drier.

This g stated arrangement of partitions with their retaining shelves notonly pertains in an exclusive sense to the front drier section F, butcontinues rearwardly in the shell A as a basis or necleus for theinterior arrangement of the other sections G and H, terminatingapproximately at the peripheral edge of the latter section. Section G inaddition to the said partitions and shelves is provided in eachcompartment with a central flight or shorter stirring partitionQO havingretaining shelves 2.1 of similar' conformation and arrangement to thatof the shelves 18.

and the suction induced by the fan.

in each longitudinal compartment, each radially interposed between apartition 16 and a central flight 20 as in the manner indicated in thedrawings. These intermediate and shorter flights z2 also carry blades orshelves 23, but which are oppositely disposed in staggered or alternatearrangement with respect to adjacent shelves 18 and 21, and further havetheir flanged marginal edges bent away from the drier axis to confrontthe said shelves 18 and 21, and thus occupy a position where theysubstantially overlap.

At the inner terminals of each longitudinal partition is mounted aflanged dellecting plate 24, coperating therewith and with each other todefine the passages 17, and which are adapted to aid in disintegratingthe mass as part of it passes through the said passages at predeterminedintervals during the rotary movement of the drier.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 6, it will be seen that theseveral flights are adapted to be maintained rigidly in their intervaledand radial positions bv means of the flanged arcuate brace members Q5which are secured to them as in the preferred manner shown, and to thepartitions 16. 1V hen assembled the braces as a whole are concentricwith the drier shell and this arrangement forms a rigid connection whichat the same time does not interfere with the drying operation.Furthermore, the inner ends of the several partitions 16 may be bracedby rods 9.6, disposed at intervals of say five feet, which may or maynot, as desii-ed, be in turn braced longitudinally by the angle irons 27disposed in the axial line of the drier shell A.

1'1v ith the parts in position as herein described, the operation of thedrier may be substantiallyV outlined as follows: The beet pulp, forexample, is fed into the front end of the drier as it rotates throughthe feed spout 11 and is carried a relatively short distance reaiwvardlyby the lhelicoidal members 15 to the front drier section F, aidedsomewhat by the inclination of the drier At this point the pulp containspractically moisture, and is first cascaded in that portion of the drierwherein highest temperatures constantly prevail, inasmuch as the feedend is in communication with the furnace chamber B, as already setforth.

As the material progresses rearwardly itgradually parts with itsmoisture, and passV ing through the section F enters the central sectionG where it is subjected to slightly1 lower temperatures, but receives acertain amount of necessary stirring and a more effective cascading byreason of the additional members providcd for that purpose in thissection. Similarly, in progressing farther in a rearwardly direction,the pulp,

Which` has parted' 'with the greater 'percentiage of its moisture,reaches the larger rear sectionli, whereinvitis subjected to reducedtemperatures but alsofto the maximum degree of stirring and cascading,until it reaches the open rear end 'Where it gravitates onto theconveyer in the@chamber D, by which it is discharged through the outlet13 as an uniformly dried product.

From the description made, it will be apr.

parent, that the material in its wettest stage is subjected to thehighest temperatures, and as it gradually parts with its moisture isacted upon by gradually decreasing temperatures and velocities, and thatthe extent of stirring and cascading is correspondingly increased as thematerial get drier. The product on reaching the discharge end of thedrier shell is dry and light, and is retained in the chamber by thebaiiie members disposed therein to prevent the dried product from beingdrawn out bythe exhaust member E i 1 Another advantage incident to theprovision ofthe expansion chamber-is that the `flow of the gases isretarded, facilitating the deposit of the lighter' particles whichordinarily would be drawn out.

` The entire arrangement is very effective and practical and lendsitself to the construction of a durable and reasonably cheap drier.There is an entire absence of 1nvolved and intricate parts, and as thecompartments communicate centrally with each other, there is littleopportunity for the material to cake and partially clog up the drier. i

I do not intend to restrict myself to the exact arrangement as shown,nor-to the precise details of construction as shown, as it is obviousthat variations thereof may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of my vinvention as pointed out in the appended claims.

The essential features, elements and op, eration of the apparatus,together with Vits simplicity and other advantages thereof, Will'beclearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my inventiom-and illustrated its use` what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following: I

1. In a rotary drier; the combination of a shell, va group ofintercommuni'cating segmental compartments adapted to receive thematerial to be dried comprising a'plurality of radial partitionsdisposed in said shell toY have their convergent ,inner marginalportions spaced away from each other about the axial line oftheshell,andlconstructed and arranged with reference 5to eachixother. soasy to provide an unobstructedfpassage Way for the travel of thematerialin a transverse direction between adjacent and oppositelyvdisposed`frrliemb'ers'- ,ofA the groumfand meansf-forfcascading fthematerial 'in its said `Compartments` disposed'. therein "to-'rec`eivethe material to be dried comprising radial partitions extending towardthe axis of the shell but terminating short thereof in spaced relationto provide an unobstructed passage way adjacent the axial line of theshell, said passage way forming a means of direct communication between`members `of the compartment series for the travel of the materialtherethrough as the shellrotates, and means disposed in saidcompartments with reference to said passage way for cascading thematerial during its travel Vfrom* one compartment to the other.

In an apparatus of the character. de'- scribed,A the combination of y adrier shell communicating with'fa source of heat ad# jacent its front'end and having a yfeed member, an expansion chamber inclosing thedischarge end of the shell, an exhaustl member connected with saidchamber, and oppo-I sitely disposed Vbaiile members extendingtransversely of the chamber and interposedy between the discharge end ofthe shell and the inlet of the exhaustmember.

4. In a drier, a drier shell communicating at its front end with asource of heat, a feed member at the front` end, means to induce a flowof heated air rearwardly through the shell comprising n expansionchamber and an exhaust mem er connected therewith, said expansionchamber inclosing the open rear end of the shell and provided with ahopper bottom, and a dischargeputlet and a` discharging means mounted inthe hopper bottom, and adapted to deliverthe dried material to saiddischargeoutlet substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the. combination of adrier shell adapted to receive the material to be dried and toVcommunicate with a 'source of heat, an exhaust member therefor, anexpansion chamber interposed between the exhaust member and thedischarge end of the shell, said expansion chamber being provided with adischarge passage and a discharge outlet, and a baille means extending,transversely of the chamber and disposed with reference `to saidpassagefsubstantially as andfor the purpose set ,-forth.

6. In a drier, the combination of a drier shell adapted to receive thematerial to be dried and communicating with a sourceof heat, anexpansion chamber inclosing" the discharge. end ofA the drier and formedwith anexhaust opening, said 'expansion chamber being provided with alongitudinal discharge passage, and a discharge outlet, a

bae means interposed between the dissigned my name in the presence ofthe two charge end of the drier and the said exsubscribed Witnesses.haust opening and disposed transversely of said passage, and adischarging device lol' WILLIAM E' PRINDLE 5 catedin said dischargepassage and adapt- Witnesses:

ed to deliver to said outlet. A. L. NASE:-

In testimony whereof I have hereunto F. J. NASH;

